The present invention is directed to absorbent articles such as diapers that contain a modifying agent and a skin care formulation. More particularly, the present invention is directed to absorbent articles that contain a skin care formulation and a bodily exudate modifying agent capable of reducing the viscosity of bodily exudates such as feces or menses to facilitate absorption of the exudate into the absorbent article and away from the skin. The skin care formulation comprises a film forming agent, which is capable of enhancing the skin barrier function to reduce possible negative effects on the skin caused by the bodily exudate modifying agents coming into direct contact with the skin of the wearer.
The stratum corneum is the outer-most layer of the skin and is responsible for regulating skin water levels and functions as a barrier against chemicals and other stress agents found in the environment. The complex arrangement of lipids in the intercellular space of the stratum corneum is responsible for the establishment of normal barrier function. Multi-layered structures of cholesterol, ceramides, and fatty acids, as well as some other minor lipids, provide the major barrier to the transport of hydrophilic substances into or through the skin. The stratum corneum is constantly exposed to physical and biological insults, which can cause a disruption in this barrier function, and numerous problems.
Absorbent articles such as diapers, training pants, incontinence products and feminine care products are worn such that they are in substantially direct contact with the stratum corneum layer of the skin of the wearer. As such, an unavoidable consequence of the use of absorbent articles is that the skin is exposed more directly to various physical and biological insults. Consequently, the barrier function of the skin covered by the absorbent article is put at risk. For example, in order to provide disposability, absorbent articles are primarily constructed of nonwoven materials. Even though nonwoven materials are engineered to have soft hand and drape, they still rub against the skin during wear causing friction. Such friction constitutes one form of physical insult to the skin barrier.
In addition to physical insults, skin covered by absorbent articles is also frequently exposed to biological insults. Biological fluids, such as urine, feces, and vaginal secretions, may contain a variety of components that can damage the skin barrier. Examples of these components include proteases, lipases, and bile acids. Once the skin barrier is compromised, these components, in addition to other constituents of biological fluids, can initiate or exacerbate inflammation of the skin. When compounded with the friction issue described above, the skin or its barrier function can be substantially damaged.
Diaper dermatitis is a type of skin condition that, in large part, originates from impaired skin barrier function. Diaper dermatitis can affect almost every infant at some point in time during the diaper wearing years. Although other factors influence the onset of diaper dermatitis, critical factors include: increased skin hydration due to the occlusion of the skin caused by diapers, enzymatic damage due to fecal and urinary enzymes, and physical damage caused by friction against the diaper surface and repeated cleaning of the skin with absorbent tissues or wet wipes.
As noted above, feces contained in the diaper can harm the skin of the wearer over time and feces leaking from the diaper almost invariably presents unpleasant, messy cleanups. Thus, several attempts have been made to add features to diapers such as barriers, pockets, spacers, transverse barriers, apertured topsheets and the like to limit the movement of fecal material across the topsheet and/or to better confine the fecal matter in the diaper. These attempts have been generally unsuccessful because they fail to address the fundamental causes of these problems (i.e., the properties of feces) and, because of their cost and complexity.
Additionally, there have been attempts to physically or chemically modify some or all of the fecal matter or other bodily exudates deposited in the article. More particularly, viscosity modifying agents such as reducing agents have been used to modify fecal matter to improve acceptance and/or retention of the exudates with the article. However, these modifying agents can also contribute to the degradation of the skin barrier function. The agents, upon contacting the skin, can disrupt the lipids of the stratum corneum layer, subjecting the skin to further irritation by the above physical and biological insults.
Based on the foregoing, it would be beneficial to provide an absorbent product that includes a bodily exudate modifying agent to allow for improved absorption of bodily exudates such as feces and menses by the absorbent product in combination with a skin care formulation that protects the skin barrier function, and improves the overall health of the skin. Additionally, it would be beneficial if the skin care formulation included a film forming agent to enhance the barrier function of the skin and reduce the possible negative effects on skin caused by the bodily exudate modifying agent contacting the skin.